Special Day Out Makes All The Difference To Lila

Two-Year-Old Is The Guest Of Honour At Day Of Fun

Smiling Lila put her worries behind her as she was treated to a day of fun and face painting.

The two-year-old, who has the most severe form of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip where the ball and socket of the joint do not develop properly, was the guest of honour at a specially organised play day.

Lila Forester-Melville, who recently we recently treated to an all-terrain mountain buggy, and big sister Molly were invited to be pampered ahead of a family fun day this weekend in aid of the charity. Party organisers, Castles In The Sky, entertained the youngsters as they played with toys and had their faces and hands painted at the Runamokka cafe in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.

Lila and Molly's mum Jos said: "Molly and Lila had a great time and Lila has benefited so much from the work of the Sunshine Fund. Without the help of charities like this, parents like us would find it really hard to get out and about with a disabled child." Amanda Glendinning, owner of Castles In The Sky, said: "We just wanted to make a nice little gesture and offer an extra day out for Lila and Molly."

The fun will continue on Saturday with a fundraising family fun day at the Shiremoor Centre from 10am-2.30pm.

Text to Donate to our £300,000 Appeal

On Friday 15^th July we launched our £300,000 Appeal, supported by Ant & Dec and Pam Royle.

You can now donate to this appeal by text. Simply send ‘ECSF11’ and the amount you wish to donate to 70070. For example, to donate £10, text ‘ECSF11£10’.

Sending the texts are free, only your donation will be taken from your bill.

If you are a tax payer, you can also gift aid your donation. If you do so, for every £10 donated, we will receive a further £2.50.

All money received from text donations will go towards the appeal, helping to buy specialist equipment for children with disabilities in the North East.

Alternatively, if you wish to donate online you can do so here or if you would like to support us in another way please call us on 0191 2016090 to discuss.

Toon Washed Out, But Kids Have Fun

THERE was plenty of sunshine despite the weekend’s heavy rain as youngsters enjoyed a day to remember.

Disabled children had a great day watching the football at St James’ Park, courtesy of IT specialists ITPS.

The firm provides the Evening Chronicle’s charity, the Sunshine Fund, with £10,000-a-year to help provide ill children with the specialist equipment they need. On Saturday they gave two lucky youngsters a day out in their corporate box at St James’ to watch the Magpies take on Fiorentina in a friendly match.

The game ended up being called off after an hour’s play due to the torrential rain, but it didn’t dampen the families’ spirits as they chatted and enjoyed refreshments.

The two children were Jessica Jade Pearson, 10, from North Shields and Harry Bucknall, 12, from Whitley Bay, who has cerebral palsy. They were both accompanied by their families, who were also able to chat about what they had both been going through.

Jessica, who has received a cheque for a trike to help with her mobility problems, said: “We had a fantastic day and loved being in the box. The best bit was Newcastle didn’t concede any goals. It was a shame about the rain though.”

Harry, who received a power wheelchair through the Sunshine Fund, said: “The highlight of the game was the thunder and lightning but the best bit of the day was being invited to be in the box.”

Garry Sheriff, MD of ITPS, said: “ITPS do a lot of activities that benefit the children in general. What’s unique about the box is that it allows the children to enjoy time with their families.”

Also going along were Angela Carrington from The Bigger Picture, which does photography for the Sunshine Fund, and Jerri Murtagh, from Echo 23, who looks after the Fund’s Tweeting.

Caroll Pattison, fund director, said: “The families get a lot out of it. Not only do they get a relief from the daily grind, but also meeting with other families so they can talk to people who understand.

“ITPS loved it because they like to see where their money goes and how it helps. They give us £10,000 a year which is fabulous. They love supporting us, but for them to meet the children who benefit from the support makes a big difference to them.

“The families also shared experiences.”

Real Big BBQ Fun

Sunday July 31st saw scores of barbeques held across the region for the Real Big BBQ, with donations being given to The Sunshine Fund.

A big thanks to everyone who took part!

Here are some photos from the event:

Bar Boss Helps Sunshine Fund With Real Big BBQ

A generous bar boss has donated a day’s takings to the Sunshine Fund.

Ryan McGee, who owns McGee’s Bar, on Camden Street, North Shields, hosted a Real Big BBQ in aid of our charity.

McGee’s was one of scores of barbecues that were held as part of the regionwide event that took place on Sunday July 31^st.

The mass event saw hundreds of fundraisers hold simultaneous barbecues on the same day, with everyone who attended donating money, which the organisers passed directly on to the Sunshine Fund.

Ryan had an extra treat in store for those who attended his barbecue, as he arranged for JD O’Neill and band, who recently released the Sunshine Fund’s official charity single, You’re My Sunshine, to entertain the crowds.

Real Radio created a perfect summer soundtrack for The Real Big BBQ and their Breakfast Team was kept busy visiting barbecues across the region.

Specially-created Sunshine Cocktails were enjoyed on the day as everyone who hosted a Real Big BBQ was sent a fundraising pack containing the ingredients needed, as well as recipes from renowned local chef Terry Laybourne.

We would like to say a massive thank you to all those involved with the event!